Wonderland Of a Wizard
by RJwizard
Summary: "Only Howl would have sufficed" saying that he captured her rosy lips. The catalog fell on the floor and Sophie went still unable to comprehend what was happening, she could feel his hot lips on hers.Goosebumps shimmered across her skin and butterflies danced in her stomach. Her head started to spin and her knees went shaky.Howl cupped her face and tilt his head to deepen the kiss.
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMERS:**

I do not own any thing.

**Chapter one**

Its was a fine sunny day, loud sounds of the celebrations that were taking place outside could be heard very clearly, birds were chirping outside the window of the shop in which Sophie Hatter was busy working on her finest piece of work. Sounds of the May Day Parade were echoing in every corner of Ingary, people were rejoicing and enjoying the company of their friends and family. Everyone was busy in their joys of life while Sophie was busy in her own little world. She was alone in the shop for her apprentices had taken leave for May Day.

The Hatter's Shop which originally belonged to late Mr. Hatter now belonged to his eldest daughter Sophie, this shop held a very close place to Sophie's heart because it was owned by her dear father, she spent most of her time there to cherish the very few memories she had of him. Working on the very fine embroidery of the blue hat, Sophie tied a knot with the thread to secure the beautiful pattern of flowers at the back of the hat.

After putting up the beautiful blue hat on display, she went near the large mirror hung at the entrance of the small gallery to pin up her lose strands from her braid. Donned in her old grey gown, she left for the entrance door. Just before exiting the shop she put on her favorite straw hat that was adorned with a pink ribbon. She opened the door, took a deep breath, and clenched the piece of paper on which was written Lettie Hatter's address.

Lettie was younger than Sophie who worked at a bakery. It had been weeks since Sophie saw her little sister, she had been so busy with work that she hardly had any time to stretch. She had been planning to pay Lettie a visit for days to see if she was doing fine. She took a step forward and started walking down the long street that led to the train-station. Taking the train she arrived at the square where the soldiers were parading on the stoney pavement, the onlookers were cheering for them.

In the hustle and bustle of the parade Sophie tried to make way for her to reach the alley that was behind the paraders. After much effort she finally reached the alley which led to the bakery. Walking down the empty alley, she felt eyes at her back, feeling like she was being followed, she turned around to find two Soldiers with wicked grins on their faces, getting scared Sophie stepped back unconsciously.

"Lost little mouse?" asked one of them. "No, I-I was just on my way to my sister's house" replied Sophie. "To me you look lost sweety, come on we'll escort you to your sister's place." said the soldier who smirked at his comrade. "Yeah come with us" said his grinning comrade. Trying to escape them Sophie said, "N-no thank you, I know the way so I'll just be on my way". "Hey come here sweetheart, we just wanna play, we won't bite...much." saying that they advanced towards Sophie and entrapped her with the wall.

Sophie's heartbeat quickened and she felt fear seeping down her spine spreading chills along her whole body. Adrenaline rushed in her system and without thinking she pushed back one soldier and tried to take off at full speed but as soon as she took a step forward her face collided with a hard object. She stumbled backwards but recovered quickly and looked up to see the hard object with which she collided.

What she saw looked like a frill that gentlemen those days liked to decorate their shirts with, moving a little away was some kind of a coat that had big purple and pink colored squares on it. _What a weird color combination_ thought Sophie, snapping out of her thoughts she stepped back to get a better view, to her surprise she found a beautiful face that had pretty aqua colored eyes and the most gentle smile on it. The "object" with which Sophie had collided appeared to be a gentleman who had gorgeous blond hair, attired in blue trousers, white frilled shirt and a coat which was hanging loosely at his shoulders.

The handsome stranger held Sophie by her shoulders and pulled her to his side. "There you are honey, I've been looking all over for you." exclaimed the pretty stranger. "I-I was", Sophie stammered. " Hey! what do you think you're doing? ", said one of the soldiers, "Hands off her, she's ours!" said the other. "Escorting my wife I believe, besides weren't you guys practicing for the parade?" said the stranger calmly. "We were what... " before they could finish their sentence, the stranger waved his hand gracefully in the air and the two soldiers immediately shut up and marched off towards the parade."Off you go!",he said to no one in particular, "Hello there Miss...", "Sophie" said Sophie. "Ahh what a beautiful name, so Miss Sophie I'll be your escort this afternoon."

**Author's Note:**

Thank you so much for reading, I hope you liked it. Please review it and feel free to criticize.

Please try to read further chapters to get the real gist of my story. But I can assure you that my story isn't like the movie.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note :**

Thank you so much to all those who read and reviewed my story. I really appreciate it.

So my story is a little bit similar to the movie but its not actually in accordance with the movie as in my story Howl isn't without a heart and Sophie will not be cursed by Witch of the waste. Howl has his heart and you'll know about calcifer and others in the later chapters.

One more thing, my native language isn't English so I apologize in advance if I make any mistakes in future. **  
**

**Chapter Two**

Holding her by the waist, the pretty stranger started to walk towards the bakery. Feeling embarrassed Sophie pushed away his hand and stopped in her track. "I really appreciate your help mister, but you don't have to escort me all the way to the bakery" said Sophie. Raising his one eyebrow while tilting his head, he replied calmly, "Nonsense, what if those men appeared again? As a gentleman it's my duty to safely escort you to the bakery." He smiled and lightly tugged her to get her back on the track. Sophie hesitated for a moment but thinking that the stranger was probably correct, started walking again.

Holding her head down she absentmindedly studied the stranger's tread, _He moves so elegantly,_ she thought. "What's so interesting about my shoes?" he asked amusingly. Sophie quickly snapped back from her thoughts, "umm I-I was just thinking about something" she replied while blushing. Seeing her blushing face he chuckled lightly ,"Anyways aren't you going to ask your savior's name?", suddenly realizing her complete lack of etiquette Sophie blushed furiously, "I'm sorry! I completely forgot about it. What's your good name Sir?" she asked curtly. "Its Pendragon, Howl Pendragon", he said while looking at her face, "Its a pleasure to make your acquaintance Mister Pendragon", she said without making eye contact with howl.

After their short conversation, both remained quite as they walked on the pavement, only the sounds of their steps were audible. Sophie secretly stole a glance at Howl who was looking back and forth as if searching for something . "What is it?" Inquired Sophie, "Don't be alarmed but I'm being followed. Act normal and stay calm" calmly saying that Howl held Sophie by the waist and started to run and took off. Before Sophie knew it she found herself gliding in air with Howl holding her hands and her beautiful brown hair fluttering in the wind. Feeling scared she tucked in her legs and closed her eyes. Her reaction appeared amusing to Howl, "Don't be scared my dear, Open your eyes and pull out your legs", he said, "Walk like you normally do. Try it, its really fun." he encouraged her.

Sophie slowly opened her eyes and pulled out her legs,_ I'm-I'm flying,_ she thought and nervously tried to take a step forward. "Go on" said Howl, she hesitantly took a few steps forward and then slowly gained her tempo."Good work, you're better at it than me", Howl praised her. Sophie blushed at being praised, _So h__e's a Wizard, _thought Sophie and slowly looked around her, she awed at the scenery before her. She could see all of Ingary, the paraders, the onlookers, the children playing in the meadows, the flowers that bloomed around the meadows. She marveled at the breath-taking beauty of Ingary. While she was busy marveling mother nature, Howl was busy marveling her face.

Sophie had pretty chocolate colored eyes which accentuated her face, her lush lips were a beautiful color of pink, her bangs lightly caressed her face making her look beautiful and innocent. "Wow, this is beautiful" exclaimed Sophie. Howl snapped back and looked around to join her. "You're so lucky! you can enjoy this scenery everyday", she said. Howl grinned at her open declaration, " When you put it that way it does seem that I'm quite lucky" He said.

"Look there's the bakery", informed Howl. They glided past the paraders and landed skillfully on the balcony. Howl let go of her hands, "Here you go Sophie, you've safely reached your destination", he teased her. "Thank you so much for your help Mister Pendragon ", she lightly bowed. Howl held her left hand and kissed it, "Only Howl will do dear". Sophie blushed and quickly pulled away her hand. Howl chuckled at her shyness and walked towards the railing and stepped on it, "Hope we meet again Sophie" he said tipping over the railing and disappeared into the crowd below the balcony while Sophie stood there stunned.

Lettie Hatter was busy entertaining her customers who were pushing each other to take their turns with her. She was the most beautiful among her sisters, with eyes the color of the sky and fair complexion. Her pretty blonde hair tied above her head in a neat bun, a red colored gown adorned with a white apron was accentuating her figure. She was expecting Sophie today so she was eagerly anticipating her arrival. Her eyes were darting back and forth towards the door when she heard a gentleman murmuring to another gentleman "Did you see _him?_ the wizard howl? I saw him! he was flying above the paraders with some girl in his arms and then suddenly he landed on our balcony."said the first gentleman, "Really? I heard he eats hearts of pretty girls. Was the girl pretty?", said the other, "I didn't get to see her face, she might have been pretty otherwise she wouldn't be with Howl".

Lettie was busy listening to their conversation when her boss called out to her "Hey Lettie! your sister's here! I heard she flew here with some wizard. Go she's waiting for you at the balcony." Her eyes brightened up and she quickly ran off towards the balcony leaving her disappointed customers behind. As she went through the door which led to the balcony, she saw a bewildered Sophie standing there.

"Sophie what's going on? Someone just told me you floated down into our balcony!" asked Lettie worriedly, "So that did happen, it wasn't a dream." said Sophie. Lettie hugged Sophie tightly "I'm so glad to see you Sophie! mind telling me what happened?". "I'm not sure myself. I don't know, I was just coming to your bakery when some soldiers started bothering me and this gentleman saved me and then I suddenly started floating and now I'm here." said Sophie confusingly, "He was some kind of a magician I think", she continued.

"Wow! He must have been a wizard then."

"But he was so kind to me. He rescued me, Lettie."

"Of course he did, he was trying to steal your heart. What was his name?"

"He called himself Howl Pendragon"

"Oh God! He was Howl! do you know what he does? he eats hearts of pretty girls!"

"I-I didn't know that, even if he did, he only does that to pretty girls."

"Sophie don't say that. You're beautiful"

"No I'm not. Anyways take care of yourself Lettie. I should be going now its getting late."

"But Sophie you only just arrived, stay with me for a little bit longer. Please."

"Lettie it'll be dark soon and I have to go, nobody's attending the shop, all my apprentices have taken leave."

"Gosh Sophie all you care about is the shop! It's your life Sophie do something for yourself for once will you?"

"Its no use arguing with me Lettie, you know that I don't listen to anyone, you understand this better than any other person. Now please go back, I've already wasted a lot of your time."

"Sophie you never waste my time! you have no idea how much happy I am to finally see you after so many days, please don't say that again"

Sophie sighed and remained silent.

"wait here I'll get some pastries for you and please don't throw them away like you did last time.", Said Lettie.

"Alright alright, I won't."

Lettie rushed into the bakery to get the pastries while Sophie went downstairs to wait for her. After taking the pastries from Lettie and bidding her farewell, Sophie went on her way to her small Hat Shop. By the time she reached her shop, the sun had already set and darkness was prevailing. Entering the shop she turned on the lamp and placed the pastries on the side table ,took off her hat and begun undoing her braid. As she took off her hair band, she saw an unusual envelope lying on the floor. She picked it up and opened it. It contained a note which read:

"I'll come to buy a hat tomorrow Sophie - Signed HP"

_HP, who's HP?_ she thought, the only logical name that popped in her mind was Howl Pendragon. _But how does he know where I live? __and how did he get inside? _ thought Sophie, _I'll have to find it out tomorrow._ She folded the paper and put it on the side table and went upstairs to sleep.  
_  
_

**AN:**

Hope you liked it. Please review.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:**

Thank you so much for reviewing my story guys. I really appreciate it. This chapter is specially dedicated to all those who read and reviewed my story. Enjoy!

**Chapter Three:  
**

Standing in the shadows past the road, Howl watched Sophie as she entered her Shop, judging from her appearance she looked tired and sleepy. Safely entering her shop, she locked the main door. Howl walked past the road and stepped on the wooden veranda of Hatter's Shop, he observed the entrance door and smiled. _She's an interesting one, _he thought.

"Sophie , I can't wait to meet you again", he said to no-one in particular and turned around, he quickly examined his surroundings to look for anything suspicious but found none. After thorough examination he walked across the road and went on his way to his Castle.

... ... ... ... ... ...

"Markl! come here! get me some logs, my fuel is almost out!", shouted Calcifer who was a fire demon. He was saved by Howl when he was cursed by the most powerful demon of his kind. Howl saved Calcifer on one condition that from that day onwards he would stay by Howl's side for eternity, Calficer had no choice but to accept his offer. He kept his promise and now he was in-charge of moving Howl's Castle and preparing hot water for his bath.

"Coming!" said Markl from upstairs. Markl was a 10 years old boy with messy caramel colored hair and chocolate eyes, dressed in a white shirt, green sleeveless coat and matching green shorts with a red bow tied around his neck. Howl took him in when he lost his family at the age of 7 , magic fascinated him so he became Howl's apprentice.

"Here you go Calcifer", said Markl as he threw some logs in the hearth. "Oh thank goodness! I almost died Markl", said the demon, "Be careful kid, I'm the one running the house so keep me alive at all cost understand?" he continued. "Yes Calcifer" said the innocent child and went upstairs in his room.

"What is taking that wizard so long?", said Calcifer, "I believe a young maiden captured my attention", said Howl as he came in through the brown entrance door and reclined on the chair near the hearth.

"Think of the devil", said Calcifer while shaking his (so called) head. Howl laughed, "aren't you the 'devil'?" said howl teasingly while rubbing his temples. "We all know exactly who's the devil here. Anyway who's the unlucky girl now?" asked Calcifer nonchalantly.

"Unlucky? I wouldn't call her that", said Howl. "Yeah right", Calcifer rolled his eyes. "She goes by the name Sophie", Howl told Calcifer. "Sophie? hmm never heard of her", Calcifer shook his head while pondering, "so how long did it take her to fall for you?", he asked.

"She didn't fall for me", stated Howl as he straightened up.

"What? that's impossible, Stop joking", Calcifer shook his head, "No one's safe from your charms. You spend half your day making yourself look 'pretty' in that bathroom of yours", he looked surprised.

"That's the thing Calcifer, She even called me Mister Pendragon! She looked like a grandma but beneath her facade was an innocent and beautiful girl. She had an angelic face Calcifer, she was different from all the ladies that I've met. She looked so pure and fragile. I don't know why but I felt so attracted towards her maybe because her simplicity was very enchanting", said howl while smiling.

"Hold it right there. Aren't you the one who fell for her?", Calcifer appeared amused.

Howl became stiff.

"Calcifer, move the castle sixty miles west", Howl said dodging his question and started going upstairs, "And while you're at it, make hot water for my bath".

"Fine, like moving the castle isn't hard enough!", said Calcifer annoyingly.

... ... ... ... ... ... ...

The chirping of birds woke Sophie up from her deep slumber, she stretched in her bed and got up. After making her bed she went to the bathroom to take a bath. She took a quick bath and wore a dull blue gown and left her hair untied to let them get dried. She quickly made breakfast in her kitchenette, ate it and went downstairs to fix up her shop for the customers as she still had an hour before she opened it. She was busy sweeping the floor when she heard a knock on the door.

She went through the gallery and opened the door, to her surprise she found Howl standing there with a smile plastered on his face and roses in his hands, clad in a white frilled shirt, black trousers and a purple coat, a single purple ear-ring dangling in his right earlobe while a blue pendent hung elegantly around his neck. "Mister Pendragon, I wasn't expecting you so early" said a surprised Sophie.

"You weren't?", asked Howl as he raised his eyebrow and grinned, he extended his arms to present her the roses, "I brought flowers for milady", he said teasingly. Sophie looked at the flowers and then at Howl, "I-I'm sorry but I don't like roses", said Sophie bluntly.

"Oh I didn't know that", with a swift movement of his fingers, Howl changed the roses into lilies, "I hope you like lilies", said Howl and smiled. "Thank you", _although I don't like lilies either, _ thought Sophie as she took the flowers nervously and placed them on the side table. She wanted to ask him how he knew that she lived here but stopped, _he's a wizard, its not a problem for him to find out about me,_ she thought. "Umm please come inside" She stepped aside, "You wanted to buy a hat Sir?" she inquired. Howl sighed, "Will you drop the honorifics please?" he said politely and went inside, "And yes I'm here to buy a hat...for now".

Sophie observed him for a while before saying, "Give me a moment please", she went near the side-table and picked up a hair-band to tie up her hair. Howl watched her as she gracefully held her hair and tied them in a messy bun. After tying up her hair she said, "This way please". She took him to the shop and showed him the hats on display. Howl was secretly observing her when she asked, "What kind of a hat would you like?"

"I'm looking for a Top Hat"

"Excellent choice Sir, we have an excellent collection of Top Hats"

Howl frowned at the honorific and nodded.

Sophie turned around to look for the catalog. She looked unusually attractive in her dull gown and her loose wet bangs which caressed her face softly, made her look angelic.

Howl awed at how she looked so extra-ordinary in her ordinary attire. Sophie suddenly turned around with the catalog in her hands, the sunlight from the window dimly lit up her pale face making her look truly like an unearthly beauty. Howl gasped inwardly _she's magnificent,_ he thought and took a step towards her. Sophie was busy going through the catalog when she felt a presence near her, she looked upwards and found Howl standing merely inches away from her, she unconsciously took a step backwards.

"Umm i-is there a p-problem Sir?" asked a nervous Sophie. Howl said nothing, his expression was intense, almost threatening. He again took a step forward and Sophie took one backwards until she was trapped between Howl and the wall. Sophie's heartbeat quickened and she became afraid. Howl looked in her caramel orbs and released the breath he didn't know he was holding, he placed both his hands on her sides.

"Only Howl would have sufficed" saying that he captured her rosy lips. The catalog fell on the floor and Sophie went still unable to comprehend what was happening, she could feel his hot lips on hers. Goosebumps shimmered across her skin and butterflies danced in her stomach. Her head started to spin and her knees went shaky. Howl cupped her face and tilt his head to deepen the kiss. Realization suddenly struck her and she quickly pulled Howl away from her, breaking their contact.

"What do you think you're doing?" Sophie asked with piercing eyes and hostile tone, flushing furiously partly because of the kiss and partly because of anger, her heart pounding in her chest and her breath uneven. Howl studied her intently for a short-while then chuckled at her expression dismissing her question and turned around leaving her dumbstruck, he picked up a simple black Top Hat from the display cabinet, "I like this one" he said and looked at the price tag, it read 70 $.

He wore it and placed 70 $ on the counter while Sophie stood there stupefied. Without turning around he said, "See you around my sweet Sophie", and then exited the shop. Sophie watched him exit and then slowly fell to her knees, hands on her lips which still tingled due to the close contact, _what just happened?_, she asked herself even though she knew the answer.

... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Howl exited the shop and after taking a few steps forward he placed a hand on his heart, it was beating furiously. _I never had this type of feeling before,_ he thought and sat down on the steps. He looked at his hands and then clenched them, _I never lost control with anyone yet why did I lose myself with her?, _he thought and sighed. He rubbed his temples trying to clear up his thoughts but his mind was a mess, he kept remembering the feel of her soft feathery lips and her innocent yet beautiful face. _I need to clear up my mind before I do something stupid,_ he told himself and started walking down the long road.

**AN:**

Hope you liked it. Please review.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:**

Thank you so much everyone for reading my story. This chapter is dedicated to all my reviewers. Enjoy!

**Chapter Four:**

Sitting on her bed, Sophie held her head down, the sun was shinning brightly in the sky indicating that it was now noon. She felt embarrassed at the scene that recently took place, she didn't know how to cope up with the current situation as she had never experienced such situations before, moreover the kiss she "unexpectedly" shared with Howl was supposed to be her very first kiss. She curled up her legs and sat there like a damsel in distress trying to figure out how to face the world after such a "tragic" event. Lettie's words about Howl eating pretty girls' hearts kept playing in her mind making her situation more aggravating.

_Why did he kiss me when I'm not even pretty?,_ she kept asking herself. She got up from the bed and started pacing the room to lessen the turmoil in her heart. _He was probably playing with me just to tease me,_ She told herself. Only that reason seemed logical so she decided to stick to it and put an end to her agitated state of mind. _What's done can't be undone, so I should probably forget about it,_ She thought and decided to forget about this whole episode.

... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Sitting on a bench in the park, Howl saw the kids playing nearby. He was in deep thought, trying to find a reason behind his actions for today. He still didn't know why he kissed Sophie and why he was so bewitched by her. All he knew was that he wanted to feel her lush lips and at that time he couldn't control his immoral desire. His mind was confused and so for the twentieth time he sighed again.

A slight movement near the bushes caught Howl's attention, he caught a glimpse of something purple and yellow. He went near the bushes to check for anything suspicious and was taken aback to find Witch of the Waste's henchmen standing there with an unusual pink palanquin in their hands. Dressed in purple suits and yellow waistcoats, those henchmen apparently looked like humans but they had blank faces and wore masks and purple hats while huge orange bows hung around their necks.

Howl calmly watched them as they lowered the palanquin and one of them opened its door. Putting one feet on the grass outside the palanquin, the Witch disembarked the carriage. She had a huge stature and a massive built, garbed in a black satin dress with a black fur stole draped around her shoulders and a large brimmed black fur hat placed obliquely on her head covering half of her lovely sky-blue eyes. She held a beautiful red Chinese fan in front of her face to cover her thin cherry lips and moved her eyes up and down slowly to scrutinize Howl to her heart's content.

A few years back Howl was infatuated with the Witch because of her beauty and youth. She was so captivating that every single man wished to be by her side. Howl was allured by her but when he came to know that she used magic to make herself beautiful then he lost all his interest in her even-though the Witch loved him dearly. And from that day the Witch vowed to wreck him for breaking her heart so she had been pursuing him ever since.

After observing silence for a moment, Howl spoke up, "long time no see, how have you been?" he asked with a bored expression. The witch flicked her fan shut to clearly show her disgust towards Howl, "don't play with me you heartless man, do you think I'll forgive you easily after what you did to me? beware of my wrath for I never show mercy to anyone" she warned him, " I'll make you pay for every single thing you did to me!" she said through clenched teeth.

She didn't seem to intimidate Howl as he had the same bored expression as before, "Look I'm truly sorry for what happened between us, I really liked you at first but when I found out that you used magic to make yourself look pretty, all the feelings that I felt for you suddenly went away" he stated as a matter-of-fact. "I didn't want to lie to you so I left you" he shrugged.

This statement enraged the Witch, "you insolent fool" she said and charged at Howl but before she could even touch a single hair on his body, Howl cast a protection spell around him blocking the attack of the witch. The Witch stumbled and fell back with a great force, her henchmen quickly helped her up. She flared her nostrils with anger narrowed her eyes, " You haven't seen the last of me" she spat her words at Howl and turned around to board her palanquin.

Howl saw her as she boarded her carriage and went away with her henchmen. _What a snobby lady_, he thought as he shook his head.

... ... ... ... ... ... ...

"Here you go miss", said Sophie as she gave the hat to her customer in a brown box. "Please visit us again" she said as she went with the customer to see her off. The customer said thanks and went away. Sophie stood in her veranda and took in a deep breath as she remembered 'the incident' again. She closed her eyes, exhaled and shook her head trying to clear up her mind.

After sorting out her thoughts she looked up at the sky, the sun was setting and soon the night would fall but judging by the looks it seemed that there would be a storm soon. It was about time to close the shop so Sophie turned over the welcome sign from 'open' to 'sorry we're closed' and went inside, locked her door and went upstairs to call it a day.

... ... ... ... ... ... ...

The next day...

Working on the delicate fabric of a purple sun hat, Sophie stitched the indigo feathers in place, she was so absorbed in her work that she didn't even notice the downpour outside from her window. She picked up a colorful gem to stitch it on the hat when she realized she was almost out of ornaments, she was ordered by her customer to prepare this particular hat by evening so she had to finish its decoration at all cost.

She looked outside to check the weather from her window and that was when she realized it was raining, it was almost afternoon and the rain wasn't going to stop anytime sooner. At first she thought of postponing her trip to the market but her sense of responsibility kept nagging her so she got up, picked up a basket, took her umbrella and went outside to visit the town.

She exited the ornament's shop after buying the desired ornaments, it was still raining heavily. She quickly made way to her shop as it was getting cold even-though it was still the start of September. She hastily entered her shop and placed the umbrella on the floor to let it get dried and took of her boots. She heard her door banging as she put the basket containing the ornaments on the side-table.

She opened the door and found Howl standing there, wet all over because of the rain, one hand on his stomach and the other on the door-frame to support himself, he looked pale because of some unknown reason, his breath was shaky and he could hardly keep his eyes open. Through his uneven breaths he managed to say "help me" and fell forward towards Sophie.

Sophie became alarmed and frightful because of Howl's condition as she held his almost limb body with difficulty. "What happened?" she asked with a worried expression, she pushed him back while holding him and was horrified to see a huge slash starting from his ribs down to his pelvis region and blood was gushing out from it. "Oh Lord! how did you get such an injury?" she asked as she panicked and started dragging Howl down the gallery into the shop and laid him down on a rug in the middle of the shop.

She neither had anytime to call a doctor nor the weather was favorable enough to call for one. Blood was flowing out continuously so she had to control it immediately. She couldn't think of anything at the moment other than stitching the wound with her needles and thread. That was the only feasible way so she decided to do that. Howl was almost unconscious by now which made it easier for her to stitch him.

She ran to get her stitching box, quickly took out a needle, passed a thread through its eye, ripped some fabric to soak blood, went and sat near Howl, clenched the needle in her fingers, ripped his shirt to get a better view and cleaned the wound with the fabric. She exhaled and started stitching his wound. The rain was still pouring down with full force accompanied by lightening and thunder but none of it distracted Sophie as she carefully secured the thread at the end. She got up and ripped some more fabric to make a long bandage, afterwards she wrapped the bandage around Howl's abdomen. She checked for his pulse, it was steady even-though it was weak. She touched his forehead, it was burning, he was probably running a high fever, she wanted to take him upstairs and lay him down on her bed but even a small movement could result in opening his stitches, so she decided to let him stay where he already was and move him after some time.

... ... ... ... ... ... ...

As Howl gained consciousness, he found himself lying on a mattress, he felt pain in every part of his body. He was in a weak state so he couldn't use magic to lessen his pain. He moved his head to the left side and saw rain droplets trickling down the window pane, the sky was dark and it was still raining, he judged the time to be around two in the morning. "Where am I?" he asked himself as he moved his head to the right side and found Sophie sleeping soundly on a chair, her arms were crossed and her head was dangling to a side. Suddenly everything came back rushing to his memories and he smiled weakly at the sleeping figure in front of him. He didn't know how to thank her for saving his life so he got up from bed with difficulty and went near Sophie. He looked at her affectionately, y_ou amaze me Sophie, I can't thank you enough for saving me, I owe you my life dear Sophie,_ he thought and bent down to kiss her on the cheek but this movement provoked pain in his abdomen, he groaned as he straightened up and held the backrest of the chair to support himself.

The disturbance in the room woke Sophie up, it took her a moment to register that Howl was standing besides her, as soon as she came to her senses she stood up quickly and held howl to shoulder him. "What happened? Why are you standing? you should be in bed", she asked him worriedly. He only exhaled and said nothing, she helped him lay down on bed, "wait here I'll get something for you to drink", she said as she went to her kitchenette and brewed a painkilling potion for him. She poured it in a cup and went back to the bedroom to give it to Howl, "this potion is very effective against painful injuries, my mother taught me how to make it, take it" she said as she handed him the cup. Howl took the cup and finished it in a single gulp, surprisingly it didn't taste bad.

Sophie sat down on the chair in front of him, "how are you feeling now?" she asked him with true concern. Howl didn't answer her question but watched her exquisite face closely, there were slight dark circles under her beautiful eyes, her lips were lightly chapped and her hair was disheveled. She looked tired and sleepy, _I'm so sorry that you had to endure all this because of me, _he thought and slowly moved towards her and kissed her forehead.

Sophie blushed as she was taken aback by the sudden kiss, she watched Howl in the eye as he retracted to the bed. "I'm so sorry Sophie, because of me you had to go through so much trouble" he said in a pitiful voice. Sophie forgot all about the kiss, "I had nowhere else to go", he told her. She didn't know what to say, "I'm just glad that you're alright" she said, "you should take some rest now" she continued . The medicine that Sophie had given him was proving to be effective as his pain had considerably lessened. "Aren't you curious about my wound?" he asked her, "I don't like prying into other people's business" she replied.

Howl lightly smiled at her straight-forwardness, "I'll tell you a story so listen carefully" he begun, "a few years ago there was a Wizard who liked flirting with pretty girls, one day he got infatuated with a beautiful lady, her beauty was so bewitching that every man wanted to have her for himself. The lady chose the Wizard to go out with and they were both happy, but then the Wizard found out that the lady was a witch and used magic to make herself look pretty and young. Afterwards the Wizard lost all his interest in the her and left her. The witch vowed to take her revenge for leaving her so she has been chasing the Wizard ever since" he said and sighed, "and yesterday she completed her vengeance" he said and laid down on the bed.

There was a moment's silence before Sophie spoke up, "you shouldn't play with someone's heart", she said, "a heart's a very fragile thing, it breaks easily if you don't handle it with care" she told him. Howl watched her intently and nodded, "anyways get well soon and take some rest now" Sophie told him as she got up from the chair and went outside the room. Howl closed his eyes and soon drifted into the world of dreams.

... ... ... ... ... ... ...

**AN:**

Hope you liked it. Please review.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:**

Thank you so much everyone for reading my story and a special thanks to all my reviewers, you guys really made my day. This chapter is dedicated to all my reviewers. Enjoy!

**Chapter Five:**

The clattering of pots woke up Howl from his sleep, he slowly opened his eyes to let them adjust to the bright light coming from the window. He blinked a few times, yawned and then rubbed his eyes. He stared at the ceiling for a moment and then turned towards the window to check the weather, it was partly sunny outside and the rain had stopped.

He was feeling much better now and his body was less aching, he took in a deep breath and released it slowly and tried to stretch but due to his wound he couldn't. He looked at the shirt he was wearing which was torn from the center and covered with blood, _She didn't even change my clothes,_ he thought but then shook his head, _what are you thinking you ungrateful man?, _he scolded himself, _she must have been shy, _he smiled lightly as he thought about Sophie's shy nature.

He pushed up his shirt to take a look at his wound, it was covered with an improvised bandage which was also stained with crimson blood. He sat up in bed and carefully opened up his bandage to reveal his stitched wound, the skin around it was smeared with dry blood. Half of the wound had healed up and the pain was considerably less, he tried to touch it but stopped, thinking that it was probably a bad idea.

He looked around to find Sophie and saw her in the kitchenette through the opened door that connected the bedroom with the kitchenette, she was so absorbed in making breakfast that she didn't even notice Howl noticing her. Though she was dressed in a old worn out blue gown but to Howl she seemed lovely.

Howl hadn't eaten a thing since yesterday and the delicious smell of whatever Sophie was making, was increasing his appetite. His stomach growled so he decided to get up and ask Sophie for some of the mouth-watering food. The bed creaked as he got up from it and this quickly caught Sophie's attention, she worriedly looked towards him and quickly turned off the stove.

"What happened? Why did you get up?", she asked as she rushed towards him. Howl saw her frown as she approached him, _she looks pretty even when she frowns,_ he thought. Her hair were tied in a neat braid and she looked delicate in that old gown, the light coming from the window highlighted her features and to Howl she looked like a captivating goddess.

"Why did you take off your bandage?", she asked him. It took him a moment to register Sophie's question because he was so busy admiring her beauty. "I asked you a question, Mister Pendragon", said Sophie. "I-I'm sorry, what did you say?" said a dazed Howl, Sophie sighed, "I said why did you take off your bandage?" she repeated. "Oh, it-it was covered with blood so I took it off, besides isn't it time to change the it?" he asked.

Sophie studied him for a while, "yes, you're right", she nodded, "while you were asleep I went to the doctor and brought some bandage and medicine for you", she told him. Howl's heart warmed up upon hearing that, _you're so caring Sophie,_ a smile adorned his lips as he thought of her. "Please sit on the bed and I'll bandage your wound for you", she said. "Yes, thank you", he said as he sat on the bed and took off his shirt.

A blush crept over her face as she saw his lean and muscular trunk, "umm stay here, I'll get the tincture to clean your wound", she told him timidly and hastily left the room. Howl amused at her reaction and shook his head while chuckling. Sophie came back with the tincture and some clothes in her hands, she tried not to look at Howl and kept her eyes lowered.

Howl watched her with a smile spreading across his lips, she took some cotton and dabbed it with the tincture. While she was busy cleaning up his wound, his stomach growled loudly, Sophie looked at his face. "I'm starving", he said with a goofy grin which made Sophie skip a beat, she quickly looked away, "breakfast is almost ready, just change your clothes first then you can eat as much as you want", she told him and neatly tied a bandage around his abdomen.

Afterwards she gave him her father's clothes to wear and went to the kitchenette to serve him breakfast. She had made rice porridge for Howl as it was easier to chew and digest, even-though he didn't like porridge but since he was famished and Sophie had especially made the porridge for him so he ate it all up and surprisingly it was delicious.

... ... ... ... ... ... ...

"You're an excellent cook", Howl told Sophie as she washed the dishes, he was sitting on a chair comfortably placed some distance away from her, Sophie blushed at the compliment and thanked him. After doing the dishes, she went downstairs to clean her shop, it was about time to open it and it was a mess due to the episode that took place there last night.

"You live here alone?", inquired Howl as he descended the stairs, "why are you asking?", asked Sophie as she looked at him and dangerously narrowed her eyes, she was holding a broom in her hands and sweeping the floor. He laughed, "relax, Sophie, I meant no harm, its just that whenever I come nobody's here except you", he said as he stepped down from the last step and leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. His posture made him look dashing and some-what attractive, Sophie tried not to look at him because whenever she did, her heart-beat increased.

_What is wrong with me?, _she asked herself, she had never experienced such foreign feelings before, _maybe I need to see a doctor too, _she thought and lightly shook her head which didn't go unnoticed by Howl. He sighed when Sophie didn't continue the conversation, "anyways thank you so much for helping me, Sophie, I can never pay back your debt but just remember that I'll always be there for you when you need my help", he said endearingly as he straightened up. Sophie stopped sweeping and looked his way, "you don't have to feel in-debt to me, I did what I had to do, in-fact anyone would have done the same", she said plainly.

_No Sophie not everyone does the same, this world is a very cruel place,_ he wanted to tell her that but decided to keep his thoughts to himself. "Thank you again for bearing with me for such a long time, I should probably take leave now", he said in a playful way, Sophie placed the broom aside, "take care of yourself", she said and extended her hand to say goodbye but instead of taking her hand he hugged her, making her blush furiously due to the close contact.

She struggled to free herself but all her efforts proved futile because Howl was holding her tightly, she squirmed in his hands and finally he let her go when his wound started to hurt, "what is the meaning of this?", asked an enraged Sophie as she stepped back. "Can't I hug you?", Howl asked her innocently, "listen, Mister Pendragon, if your looking for someone to flirt with then I'm very sorry to inform you that you've found the wrong person" said a fuming Sophie, "neither I'm interested in such immoral acts nor do i have time for such things, its better if you find someone else to play with!", she told him furiously.

"Sophie, I only want to be your friend, is that too much to ask for?" said Howl dejectedly. This took Sophie aback and she went speechless for a moment, "if you only want to be my friend that what was that ki-kiss for?", she turned red as she asked that. "I admit at first I was only playing with you but when I came to know you, I truly wanted to be your friend", he said with utmost sincerity. Sophie was utterly speechless, her throat was dry and her pulse was racing, she didn't know what to say, complicated things confused her and the situation right now was nothing more than a complicated mess.

_He's playing with me again, isn't he?,_ she was internally debating with herself and Howl was standing there waiting anxiously for a reply, "what gave you the idea that we could be friends?", she finally spoke up. "Because I feel very comfortable around you and you're a very sweet person", he confidently told her, he didn't know if this answer would change her mind but at-least he was being honest with her. "Just give me another chance, Sophie", he was almost pleading her, he knew that she wouldn't give him another chance but deep down he hoped that she might accept him.

Sophie sighed, she was very bad at rejecting people especially when they had the 'pleading' look in their eyes, _How do I reject him?, _she asked herself even-though she knew she couldn't,_ I should probably forgive him, after all he did save me from those soldiers,_ she thought, _everybody deserves a second chance right?._"Alright, we can be friends, just friends", she emphasized on the last past to clear her point, Howl instantly brightened up, he wasn't expecting her to give him a second chance.

Howl grinned and extended his arm to shake hands with her, "so, friends?", he raised his eyebrows to accentuate his question. Sophie looked at his hand and then his face, "yes, I suppose", she said and cautiously shook his hand. "Thank you for giving me another chance Sophie, I won't disappoint you", he said in a perky voice, Sophie couldn't help but notice the huge smile plastered on his face, "Well then, I'll be on my way now", he said as he turned towards the door and started walking.

"Wait, Mister Pendragon", Sophie called out to him, he turned around, "yes?", he inquired. "Aren't you going to wear shoes?", she said, even-though she tried to hide it but Howl saw the ends of her lips slightly curled up. He saw his feet and chuckled at his silly mistake, "can I burrow your shoes? if you have my size that is", he asked playfully. "Wait here, I'll get my father's shoes", she went upstairs leaving Howl behind, _she was smiling_, he thought as he shook his head gleefully.

Sophie came back with her father's shoes in her hands, she gave them to Howl and he wore them after thanking her. He turned around to take his leave but stopped and turned his head around, "Thank you for everything, Sophie, and you can start calling me 'Howl' now", even-though it was meant to be a request but it sounded more like an order, Sophie fixed her eyes on his face for a brief moment and then looked away nervously, she nodded timidly, "goodbye, H-Howl", she flushed furiously as she said that.

Howl's heart skipped a beat as he heard his name through her lips, he chortled at her, "take care, Sophie", he said and exited the shop. _Why is my heart racing so much,_ she thought as she saw him leave, _I must be sick. _She sighed and cupped her face as she remembered Howl's smiling face, _stop thinking about him and focus on your work Sophie, _she slapped her cheeks and shook her head to clear up her thoughts, she took the broom and started sweeping the floor again.

**AN:**

Hope you liked it. Please review.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:**

A very special thanks to all those who read and reviewed my story. This chapter is dedicated to all you guys. Enjoy!

_**Reply to Annalynn Roe: **_ The surname of Sophie is actually "Hatter", I didn't make it up. And the relationship between Howl and Sophie is supposed to be fast paced in the early chapters otherwise it won't go according to the plot, just read on the later chapters and you'll get my point. :)

P.S. Since Howl's a playboy so he's actually playing with Sophie in the early chapters but because of her personality he gradually gets attracted to her.

**Chapter Six:**

"Its been two days and Master Howl isn't back yet, where is he?", asked Markl, he was practicing the protection spell which Howl had recently taught him, but he couldn't concentrate properly because he was worried about his Master. "Relax kid, Howl knows how to protect himself, have some faith in him", Calcifer tried to cheer him up, Calcifer wasn't worried about Howl, he knew that Howl was a skilled wizard and was fully capable of protecting himself, he was only worried about Markl because the poor kid loved that wizard unconditionally.

Even-though Calcifer's words were reassuring, but Markl couldn't stop worrying about Howl, "I just hope he's alright", said Markl in his childish voice. "Stop worrying kid and get me some lo-", he wasn't able to complete his sentence because the entrance door opened and their attention went towards it, Howl came in through the door, he looked some-what pale and weak as if he'd been sick.

"Master Howl!", squealed Markl as he rushed towards Howl and hugged his legs, Howl ruffled his hair affectionately, even-though Howl rarely showed it but he was quite attached to the boy and loved him dearly.

"Hello, Markl, its so good to see you, how have you been?"

"I'm fine , Master Howl, where were you? I was so worried!"

"I had some business to attend to, anyways I'm glad to know that you're fine."

"Hey, kid, go upstairs, I have to talk to Howl", Calcifer cut in, Markl looked at him with innocent eyes, "but I-", Markl didn't continue because he could feel the tension between Howl and the fire demon, "go on, Markl", Howl urged him, he didn't argue and quietly went upstairs in his room.

"So, where were you?", asked Calcifer sourly, he was so angry at Howl for leaving the castle without informing him and making Markl so worried that he couldn't even concentrate on his spells. Howl walked past the hearth and reclined on the large comfy chair placed beside it, he was too tired to explain anything so he kept quite, closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. "What's the matter? cat got your tongue?", asked Calcifer bitterly, Howl's attitude irritated him.

Howl rubbed his temples and sighed, "no need to be so flared up, I got a little hurt so that's why I couldn't come home", he was so spent that he wanted to take a hot bath and sleep for as long as he could, besides he was getting a head-ache. "That was a very lame excuse, Howl", Calcifer didn't seem to believe him, "you want me to believe that Howl, 'the invincible wizard Howl', got hurt", he said sardonically.

"Can't I get hurt? I'm not an Immortal, Calcifer"

"That's very hard to believe, Howl. Why don't you just tell me the truth?"

"Calcifer, I'm awfully tired to explain each and every word to you, all I can say is that the Witch of the Waste attacked me, and I almost got killed"

"What?" that took back Calcifer, anything related to the Witch was supposed to be taken seriously, so Calcifer left aside his temper and looked at Howl with genuine worry, "how bad did she hurt you?"

"Enough to make me stay unconscious for a day", Howl sighed, he had a long day and just wanted to stay quiet, after leaving Sophie's shop, he had bumped into Madam Suliman's henchmen, they carried some kind of an envelope in their hands which they quickly presented to him, but instead of taking the envelope he had fled away from them. He knew that it must be another one of Madam Suliman's proposals to make Howl join the Royal Army. He detested wars, so naturally he hated getting involved in anything related to them.

Howl used to be Madam Suliman's Pupil a few years back, she ran the Royal Defense Academy and was known to be the best sorceress in Ingary until she took in Howl. Howl was at par with her, even better in some aspects, he was the best pupil she had ever taught and she had made up her mind to enroll Howl in the Royal Army as he would prove to be a strong asset against the enemy. She tried her best to make Howl agree to join the Royal Army, but every time she proposed, he had declined. Howl got tired of her proposals and finally left the academy, but that did not stop Madam Suliman from constantly urging him to comply to her request.

So, now whenever he encountered her or anything related to her, he got tired.

"So did anyone look after you or did you heal yourself up?", asked Calcifer.

"Sophie did", Howl's head-ache was growing every minute and he didn't want to answer Calcifer's questions anymore, so he quickly got up from his chair, "Calcifer, make hot water for my bath and move the castle somewhere peaceful", he went upstairs while rubbing his temples and left Calcifer behind to ponder about his and Sophie's relationship.

… … … … … … … … …

"Here you go, ma'am", Sophie handed her customer a brown box, decorated with a large brown bow, "I had it prepared earlier than you had ordered me to", she smiled at the elderly lady as she took the box. "Oh, thank you so much, my dear, I was supposed to take this hat yesterday, but due to the heavy downpour I couldn't come", said the elderly lady, "my daughter loved this hat so much and wanted to wear it to her friend's party, but unfortunately the party was postponed due to the heavy rain", she told Sophie and turned to leave the shop. "Thank you for the hat, darling", said the old lady as she exited the shop, "Please come again", Sophie went to the entrance door to see off her customer.

She stood in her porch as she watched a young couple stroll by, hand in hand and flirting with each other, she watched the young girl laugh so carelessly with her partner, _I don't understand how people can be so carefree about their lives?, _she thought . Her own life was never so 'carefree', she was rarely given any opportunity to appreciate life because as long as she could remember, she had faced more hardships than happy moments. Losing her mother during Martha's birth, death of her father at an early age, the responsibility of looking after her sisters, all these things made Sophie mature more quickly.

Sophie was not much of an optimist, always looking at the shadier side of things, but ever since she met Howl, something changed in her, she was starting to feel things she had never experienced before. Although, she was hesitant to befriend Howl at first, but now she was actually looking forward to appreciate the new chapter of her life, that was soon to begin.

The sun was setting and the night would fall soon, so Sophie turned the 'Welcome' sign and went inside her shop to make dinner and then call it a day.

After having her dinner, she changed into a night-gown to go to bed, this particular night-gown was owned by her late mother, with a pale white color, frilled sleeves and the hem decorated with sparkly beads. She let down her cascade of thick chestnut colored hair, climbed onto her bed and pulled up her sheets. As she laid down, she heard a soft knock on her window, at first she thought it was her imagination, but when she heard the knock again, she climbed off her bed and went near the window to check for anything suspicious. She opened the window and found nothing out of order.

"Boo!", Howl popped his head from a side to take Sophie by surprise, Sophie jolted and stumbled backwards with a shriek. Howl laughed at the comical display, floating to keep his level with the window. He rested his hands on the windowsill to observe a shocked Sophie, her mouth was agape, and she looked so young and pretty in that night-gown of hers.

Sophie was so surprised, it took her a moment to register that Howl had played a prank on her, she quickly composed herself and looked embarrassingly at a still laughing Howl, she folded her arms, "that was not funny", she said with a flushed face. Howl stopped laughing, "yes, but the look on your face was", he grinned and finally studied her. He inwardly gasped and was awestruck at the beauty standing before him. The moonlight shone on Sophie's face, making her pale skin glow, thick locks of auburn hair framed her lovely oval face, and the gown she was wearing made her look like an angel dropped from heaven.

Howl used all the power he had in him, to control himself from kissing her inviting lips. _She's just your friend, Focus Howl Focus!,_ he scolded himself and pushed away the thoughts of kissing her from his mind. "What are you doing here so late?", Sophie's question shook Howl out of his momentary trance, she had moved closer to the window, "umm, I was getting bored and I couldn't sleep", he replied with a goofy grin.

"How's your wound?"

"Better than ever, are you sleepy?"

"No, not yet"

"Good, lets go count the stars"

Before she could protest, he held both her hands and pushed her outside with him. He held her by the waist and pressed her close to his body to keep her warm as the night was exceptionally chilly. Sophie's pulse quickened and her heart jumped when she felt Howl's hand around her waist, she tried to put some distance between them but Howl kept her close. Even when they were floating, there was a considerable height difference between them, Sophie's head barely reached Howl's Shoulders and her cheek grazed against the fabric of the coat he was wearing. Howl was dressed in quite plain clothes tonight, clad in a simple plain white shirt, black leather trousers and a matching black leather coat. Sophie liked this plain side of Howl and secretly stole a glance at his face.

His pale skin blended perfectly with his sandy blond hair. Loose strands of hair, framed his beautifully chiseled face. Wide blue eyes, deep as oceans, brought out his natural beauty, Sophie couldn't help but stare at him. Her eyes landed on his lips and butterflies danced in her tummy as she remembered the kiss they had shared. Howl turned his head to look at Sophie and she quickly averted her eyes.

Howl walked through the air and landed on Sophie's roof, he let go of her and sat down, Sophie did the same and sat beside him. Both looked up at the star filled sky and observed silence for a moment, Howl was the first to speak up.

"You never told me why you lived alone?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"I'm just asking to get to know you more, Sophie"

Sophie looked in his eyes and for a moment she almost got lost in them, but she shook her head and quickly gained her composure, _he's only asking, Sophie, he doesn't mean any harm,_ she thought and let out an exasperated sign.

"I'm not alone during the day, I have two apprentices, but now-a-days they're busy because of their circumstances, so they're on leave"

"What about your family?"

"My mother died during childbirth, my father died when I was 12, my two sisters are busy in their own lives. Anything else?"

Howl remained quiet and studied her face intently, every time he asked her a question, she became uncomfortable, "Sophie, I don't know why but you've built a wall around you. Like you want to protect yourself from the world and are afraid to open up to anybody". Sophie went still, Howl had figured out her exact insecurity, she couldn't help but feel perplexed at being discovered, all her life she had tried to distance herself from others, felt insecure about her shortcomings, and tonight Howl had left her speechless.

Howl watched her nervous expression and sighed, he put his hand on her cold fingers and took her hand in his, "you should loosen up a little, Sophie, share your burden with others and cherish the people around you", he said trying to soothe her. She stared at his face, unable to speak, after a moment, she slowly nodded and relaxed a little, but soon a shiver went down her body as a chilly blast of wind hit her and goosebumps erupted across her body. She rubbed her hands against her arms to warm herself up, Howl saw her , took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders.

"Come on, lets get you inside, before you catch a cold", he said playfully as he scooped her up in his arms. Sophie flushed as she tried to keep his coat in place and maintain her balance, Howl quickly carried her to her bedroom, "It sure is cold outside", he said as he rubbed his hands together. "Do you want me to light up the fireplace?", Sophie asked with concern. "No need, Sophie, I'd better get going, you must be sleepy", he said as he turned towards the window and jumped out, "goodnight, and don't forget to lock the window", he smiled and glided away into the darkness.

Sophie stood by the window and watched Howl disappear into the night, her heart was thumping loudly, all her life Sophie had stayed in the shadows, no-one tried to acknowledge her presence, as a result, Sophie had shut the doors of her heart to prevent herself from socializing and eventually end up getting hurt, and it was working perfectly until this mysterious wizard arrived and urged her to open her tightly shut doors, he was the only one who tried to approach her and offered her his friendship. Sophie was glad and confused at the same time, some-how she had found a ray of hope in her life.

A cold gust of wind touched her body, making her shiver, Sophie closed the window and locked it. She took of Howl's coat, _I was wrong about him, he isn't such a bad person,_ she thought as she looked at the coat and caressed it with her fingertips, the coat was soft and warm. All the day's business had left Sophie exhausted, so after folding the coat and placing it in the closet, she slipped in her bed, yawned and fell into a deep slumber.

She had no idea what the future had in store for her.

**AN:**

Hope you liked it, please review.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:**

Thank you so much everyone for reading and reviewing my story. You guys have no idea how much I appreciate your reviews.

To all those who didn't review, please do leave a review even if you hate the story.

I wasn't able to update sooner 'cause I had to study for my Finals.

This chapter is dedicated to whoever is reading it. Enjoy!

**Chapter Seven:**

Floating in the air, Howl watched the sleeping figure of Sophie through her window from afar. She looked so peaceful and serene, as if she had no worries in the world. Howl had hated himself for making her nervous by baldly stating her insecurity, she had looked so horrified then, and he never wanted her to show that kind of expression ever again. _I'm sorry for making you uneasy, Sophie, _he thought.

Howl had met and gone out with many ladies, from the ones roaming about in the alleys to the elite class, all of those ladies had been astounding beauties with striking features and vibrant skin, but oddly none of them had caught Howl's eye. Sophie was not counted as one of the 'spectacular' beauties but she was none the less a beauty in her own simple way, and Howl liked that the most about her. The only thing about Sophie that bothered Howl was her cold and detached nature, she didn't seem to care what others thought about her and didn't like to depend on others, she was happy in her own little world and wanted nobody to trespass it, Howl wanted to change that because he badly wanted to step over her boundaries and find a place in her heart. He knew that was nearly impossible but he was not going to give up.

Howl put his hands in his trousers' pockets and gazed at Sophie's smiling face while she slept, _she looks lovely when she smiles, _he thought as a light grin touched his lips, _believe me or not but I'll do anything to protect your smile, Sophie, _he sighed, _all I wish is for you to see me as something more than just a friend. _He looked up at the starry sky and ran his hand through his hair, the stars were twinkling brightly in the sky, Howl looked at Sophie's face for the last time and raised his slender fingers to cast a protection spell around Sophie's house, soon an evanescent mist surrounded the house, then he turned in the air and glided smoothly towards his castle.

… … … … … … …

It was around two in the morning when Howl entered his castle, it was really quite inside, both Markl and Calcifer were asleep. The wooden steps creaked as Howl stepped on them, when he reached the middle, he heard Calcifer grunt. He turned his head and saw two big groggy eyes staring at him lazily. Calcifer yawned and covered his mouth with his hand, he blinked his eyes a few times to clear his vision, "pass me some logs, will you?", his tone was full of lethargy as he asked Howl. "Sure", said Howl as he descended the steps and picked up some chopped logs from the storage, he gave them to Calcifer and sat on his usual comfy chair beside the hearth. As Calcifer swallowed the logs hungrily, the fire-place came to life, bright red flames grazed the roof of the furnace and the room lit up dimly, making the shadow of every figure in the room dance with the flickering flame.

"Where were you at this time of the night?", Calcifer yawned again and picked up another log to chew on, Howl took a moment to reply, "visiting a friend", he said the last part eerily as if he wasn't happy calling that certain someone a 'friend'. Calcifer snorted and looked at Howl curiously, "a friend? Really? Why would you visit a 'friend' so late at night?" Calcifer was enjoying this, "mind telling me who that friend was?" he was grinning now, Howl looked at him speculatively and narrowed his eyes, "what's so funny?", he asked ominously, Calcifer's grin widened, "nothing, I was just wondering about that friend of yours". Howl sighed and ran his hand through his hair for the umpteenth time, "It was Sophie, Okay? And stop looking at me like that", Calcifer laughed at Howl's distressed state.

"Let me guess, you have a thing for her, right?", Calcifer asked with a devilish grin, his eyes were unnaturally sparkly, Howl shook his head, "its not just a '_thing_', Calcifer, I _like_ her but not in a usual way, I mean when I'm with her everything seems so perfect and special, I'm my true self with her and I so wish to be able to stay with her forever", he was trying too hard to make Calcifer understand his feelings, he didn't know why but he wanted someone to know how he felt. Calcifer scrutinized him for a moment, "Howl, you're falling for her", he stated plainly. Howl went still and tried to take in slowly what Calcifer had told him, "I don't know Calcifer, I-I've never been in love before, this emotion seems so foreign to me", he said uncertainly, "but you're experiencing it now", Calcifer told him calmly.

Howl tousled his hair distressingly, "you might be right, Calcifer, but the problem is she only sees me as a friend!" his tone was getting heavier, "so?', said Calcifer nonchalantly, "so? so that makes my love unrequited, doesn't it?", Howl was on the verge of shouting. "Calm down Howl, have you confessed to her?"

"I-I was planning to but, Calcifer, she isn't like any other lady out there, she'll plainly refuse me, she hardly wants to be my friend"

"O-kay, so this Sophie seems like a tough match, tell you what, leave the things as they are, just be patient and eventually she'll come to you"

"That's what I'm trying to do right now"

Calcifer was surprised to find Howl in such a state, he hadn't expected a mere woman to bring such a change in him. To him, Howl was just a womanizing, egocentric, narcissistic and a conceited fool, Calcifer had always seen women swooning and fighting over him, Howl had always faced his adversary with confidence and courage, he always got what he wanted, he never lost to anybody, but he was no match for Sophie, whoever that maiden was, she had left Howl defenseless and made him so vulnerable. Calcifer was suddenly very curious to meet this Sophie and see what she looked like.

"Calcifer, I'm going upstairs, you take some rest too, good night"

"Okay, see you tomorrow then"

Calcifer watched as Howl went upstairs, he grinned as he thought about the entertainment that was awaiting him.

… … … … … … … …

The next day…

The sun was shining brightly in the sky and Howl was walking down the busy street, there was noise and clatter everywhere, everyone was busy in their own business, Howl was walking past a stall when a shiny ornament caught his attention, he turned his eyes to look at that particular ornament. It was a beautiful pendent made of silver, carved in the shape of a delicate feather, eye-catching white colored gems decorated it, it would look splendid around Sophie's neck. Howl quickly went near the stall, "How much for this?", he asked curtly as he pointed towards the silver pendent.

"That's an exquisite piece you chose, Sir, I shipped it specially from Persia, this pendent is known to bring luck to its wearer, although its a priceless pendent but I'll take only 200 $ from you", said the vendor in his mellow accent.

"Here", Howl gave the money to the vendor and took the pendent, although this pendent was supposed to bring luck to its wearer, but in the current circumstances Howl was in need of improved luck more, As he took the turn around the street, he bumped into a soldier, "watch it", said Howl as he frowned at him, "I'm sorry to bother you, Sir, but I was ordered to deliver this scroll to you by Madam Suleiman, here", the soldier bowed as he presented the gilded scroll to Howl. Howl studied the bowed soldier, "take it back, I don't need it", he said as he turned around and started to walk, "but Sir, wait!", he ran after Howl and blocked his way, "I'm really sorry, Sir, but if you don't take this scroll, Madam Suleiman will throw me out of the royal palace, and I don't want to lose my position, please Si-"

"All right fine! Give me the damned scroll and stop your whining", Howl was annoyed at him, the soldier quickly gave him the scroll and Howl took it. The soldier bowed and thanked him a hundred times before going back to the palace. Howl unfolded the scroll and read the contents:

_Howl,_

_Meet me at the Royal Academy this evening, I have something to discuss with you. Its better if you come yourself, otherwise I'll send more annoying soldiers after you._

_-Suleiman_

Howl sighed, _I hate annoying soldiers the most,_ he thought. He knew that Madam Suleiman was capable of doing what she said, besides he had rejected her so many times that she might try doing something eccentric, he couldn't think of any other way to escape, so today he had to meet that snobbish lady. Howl looked at the sky to judge the time, it seemed around twelve 'o' clock, he still had time at his hand before he went to meet madam Suleiman. So Howl went straight ahead and strode towards Sophie's shop.

… … … … … … …

"Sophie, I had a great time with you", said Julia amiably. Julia Turner was Sophie's apprentice, a beauty with shiny blonde curls that reached her shoulders, mesmerizing green eyes, a fair complexion, rosy cheeks and delicate pink lips. She joined the shop a year ago when her mother had thrown her out of her house for being useless, she didn't have any brother and her father had left them because her mother wasn't able to bring forth a son, Julia had four younger sisters and her mother never actually loved any of them, including her. As Julia had crossed eighteen so her mother threw her out of the house, thinking that she was a burden on the household. Sophie had found Julia crying alone in an alley and had taken her to her shop. Luckily, Sophie was able to contact her aunt, and her aunt happily took Julia in, but Julia wanted to prove herself to her mother so she had requested Sophie to let her be her apprentice, and Sophie had agreed. Together Sophie and Julia had worked, laughed and learned many new things and eventually became very good friends. And Now Julia was about to get married to the most amazing gentleman in Ingary, Sophie was overjoyed to hear this news.

"I'm really happy for you Julia, Mister Jake Fielding is a very refined young man, he'll make an excellent husband", Sophie was very happy for her friend. "Sophie, Jake is the most amazing thing that ever happened to me, and I love him so very much", Julia had a dreamy look on her face that made Sophie wonder about this emotion called 'love', and suddenly Howl's face popped in her mind, she quickly shook her head, _why am I thinking about him?,_ she thought. Sophie wasn't familiar with such emotions and she was curious to know how it felt to be in love, "Julia, how does it feel to be in love", asked Sophie inquiringly, Julia looked at her incredulously. "Sophie, are you feeling alright?", she laughed a bit, "I mean you never ask these kind of questions", Sophie blushed at being embarrassed, "I-I was just asking".

"No need to be embarrassed, Sophie, I was just surprised by your sudden interest in romance, that's all", Julia smiled at Sophie, "well, being in love makes you feel very special, you get this cozy feeling in your heart that someone has been created solely for you, and their existence means everything to you", Sophie was listening so attentively that it brought a smile to Julia's lips, "whenever you see that 'certain someone', you get butterflies in your stomach and you want them to look only at you, and when they hold you or kiss you-", Julia sighed, "-you just want to melt in their arms".

Sophie was trying to comprehend what Julia was saying, but whatever Julia was explaining, was leading Sophie towards Howl, she was getting the flashbacks of the kiss they had shared and the feelings she had at that time. Sophie was turning red due to the direction her thoughts were taking, Julia looked bemusedly at Sophie's reddened face, "Sophie, you're acting strange, I mean you're asking questions about love out of the blue and now you're turning red for some unknown reason, something's fishy here", Julia had a teasing grin plastered on her delicate face, "nothing's wrong, Julia, you're imagining things", Sophie said quickly to hide her bashfulness.

Before Julia could dig out any information from Sophie, they heard a knock at the door, Julia looked out from the window, it was almost afternoon, Julia gasped, "Oh my god! Look at the time, my aunt will be very angry at me for being so late, I'd better get going, Sophie, It was a great pleasure meeting you, do attend my wedding", she said hastily as she hugged Sophie and went for the door, "I'll definitely attend your wedding, Julia", Sophie was right behind her. Julia took her hat from the hanger and opened the door, she halted as she looked ahead, what she saw before her left her awestruck, Howl was standing there with a handsome smile on his face, dressed in dark blue trousers, white buttoned shirt, a knee-length dark blue coat, and chocolate brown boots. A beautiful white crystal earring hung down from his ear lobe, which shone to produce a spectrum of colors. Julia looked at Sophie questioningly and then at Howl, Howl looked devilishly handsome and Julia was taken aback by the robust male standing at Sophie's doorstep. "Hello miss, I'm Howl, Sophie's friend, and you are?", Howl asked to break the awkward silence between them, Julia raised her brows and looked at Howl apprehensively, "Uh, I'm Julia Turner, I'm also Sophie's friend, and its a pleasure to meet you Mister Howl", Julia eyed Sophie suspiciously and Sophie averted her gaze. Julia sighed, "umm ,Sophie, take care, I should take leave now, good bye", the way Julia looked at Sophie told her that she wasn't going to let this 'Howl thing' slip. Sophie nodded and said good bye to her, "See you around, Mister Howl", Julia said awkwardly as she turned to face Howl, Howl nodded his head to acknowledge her departure and moved away to make way for her to leave. Sophie turned towards Howl after Julia boarded a carriage and left.

"What brings you here, Howl?", asked Sophie, Howl looked absolutely charming in his attire and Sophie was having a hard time concentrating. Howl grinned, exposing his perfect white teeth, "I was just passing by, I saw your shop on my way so I thought to pay you a visit", Howl was beaming and Sophie was curious to know why, "aren't you going to let me in?", Howl asked expectantly, Sophie stepped away quickly, "oh, I-I'm sorry, come on in", she gestured for him to step in. Howl stepped in and walked through the small gallery towards her shop, as usual her shop was squeaky clean, threads, needles, cloth, and decorative ornaments were scattered on her walnut wood carved table and beautifully crafted hats were displayed in the glass cabinets, Howl went and sat on a chair placed in a secluded alcove. Sophie was standing close to him, she was wearing a maroon gown, its hem decorated with golden lace, her hair were tied up in a neat bun and a few lose strands framed her face. "So Julia's your friend", stated howl, Sophie nodded, "she was one of my apprentices, she's getting married soon so she came to invite me to her wedding", she informed him.

"That's wonderful", he exclaimed, after a pause he said, "umm, Sophie, I brought something for you"

Sophie was surprised, "for me? what did you bring?"

Howl rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a beautiful pendent. Sophie's eyes widened, "oh, Howl, its beautiful, but I can't take it", although she liked the pendent but she was not going to take it, she never took anything from anyone. Howl stood up and walked towards Sophie, "no buts, Sophie, I bought it for you and you're going to take it", he held her by her shoulders and guided her towards the large mirror in her gallery. Sophie protested but Howl was very insistent, "look in the mirror, Sophie", he ordered her, "what are you doing?", Sophie was very confused at what Howl was doing. Howl sighed, "will you stop asking questions and look?", Howl asked, Sophie thought for a moment and then looked in the mirror, Howl took the pendent and slipped it around her slender neck. Sophie looked at her reflection and awed at the beauty of the pendent hung around her neck, it looked perfect on her, as if it was carved to be worn by her, she touched it to feel the cool silver brush underneath her finger tips, it was very finely detailed, decorated with dazzling gems to add to its appeal, Sophie had never seen such an alluring piece of jewelry before. Her momentary trance was broken when she saw the smiling face of Howl in the mirror. She quickly started to unhook the chain but Howl caught her hands, "don't take it off, Sophie, please, I specially bought it for you", Sophie looked at his reflection in the mirror, he had a pleading look in his eyes, her mind was telling her to take the pendent off but her heart was telling her to accept the gift. At last, her heart won the little battle and she decided to accept Howl's gift, she turned around, "thank you, its really pretty", she raised her eyes to meet his.

"Its pretty but not as pretty as you", Howl said in a husky tone and gazed into her eyes, Sophie looked nervous but she did her best not to avert her gaze, Howl's eyes dropped to her lips, Sophie licked them and her heart begin to thump loudly. Howl was only inches away from her, he begin to tilt his head and go for her lips, but before their lips made contact, Sophie averted her head, she could feel his hot breath on her cheek. "I-I'll get the coat you left here last night", saying that she quickly fled her shop and almost ran upstairs. Howl watched himself in the mirror and closed his eyes, _what were you thinking__?_, he scolded himself, _she's scared of you now._

Sophie practically ran into her bedroom and closed the door, she was breathing heavily and her pulse was very high, she placed a hand on her heart and tried to calm herself down, she slapped her burning cheeks lightly and shook her head, _pull yourself together, Sophie, nothing happened!,_ she told herself. She took in deep breaths and finally her heartbeat came back to normal. _Be confident and face him like you usually do,_ she instructed herself and went to retrieve Howl's coat from her closet and went downstairs. Howl was sitting on the chair in the alcove, deep in thoughts, he jerked his head up when Sophie approached him, "here's your coat, thank you for lending it to me", she said with a smile. Howl inwardly breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her smile, "no problem, after all I'm a gentleman and its my duty to look after a lady", Sophie smiled at him and thanked him again for the pendent. "No need to thank me, Sophie, I'll do anything for you", Sophie averted her gaze but smiled secretively. Howl got up and went for the entrance door, "I have to leave now, Sophie, unfortunately I have a meeting with someone", he said in a playful manner. "Its fine, take care", Sophie was glad and sad at the same time to know that Howl was about to leave, and she was very confused at the conflicting state of her mind, "you take good care of yourself too", Howl took his leave and went outside, Sophie watched him as he blended into the sea of people in the streets.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Howl walked through the gates of the Royal Defense Academy and there in the lush lawns stood the great Madam Suleiman, she was a woman who seemed to have crossed the seventies, with grey hair and unusual grey eyes. She was clad in a red velvet gown with gilded collar, sleeves and hem, a beautiful ornamented necklace hung loosely around her neck, her hair tied up in a pinkish-red silken snood, while she held a magic wand in her hand. She emitted an unfriendly aura but when she saw Howl approaching her, her lips curved into a smile. She admired Howl for almost everything, he was an ideal student and also an exceptional wizard, Howl was the only one who was safely roaming about Ingary after declining her, not once but many times. Howl knitted his brows together when he saw the satisfaction on Madam Suleiman's face, "why did you call me here?", Howl wanted to get this over with as soon as possible, "you're not going to say hello or ask me about my daily business?", she asked with a challenging look in her eyes. Howl wrinkled his nose and rubbed his temples, "let's cut to the chase, whatever you're trying to sell me, I'm not gonna buy it", Howl was dead serious. Madam Suleiman laughed bitterly, "my dear boy, you were always the hasty one, but remember haste makes waste", she said provokingly. "Why don't you stop fooling around, and just get to the point", Howl stated acrimoniously.

Madam Suleiman scrutinized him for a moment, "join the Royal Army", she said in a commanding tone, her gaze never leaving his. "No", Howl said in an uninterested fashion.

Madam Suleiman sighed and shook her head, "why not?"

"Because I detest wars, and if you called me here just to ask me about something so absurd then I'm leaving", Howl turned as he started to walk towards the exit.

"Wait! I have something more to say", Madam Suleiman's voice was quivering, probably because of her old age. Howl turned back and waited for her to speak up, "Prince Justin wants to meet you, actually he's the one who wanted you in the Royal Army, but you've rejected so many times that he's taken an interest in you-", she wasn't able to finish because Howl cut in, " I'm not interested in meeting anyone", he turned away and started to walk again.

"The Prince ordered me to capture you and publicly shun you from Ingary if you rejected him this time, and you know I have the power to do that", she dared Howl to defy the Prince, Howl knew that Madam Suleiman would happily do exactly as the Prince had ordered her to do, being shunned from Ingary meant being unable to meet Sophie, Howl couldn't let that happen, he tightly shut his eyes and gritted his teeth, "when is the meeting with the prince".

Madam Suleiman grinned at his defeat, "The Prince is holding a ball after three days at the palace to search for an eligible marriage partner, you may meet him then"

Howl contemplated her, "fine, tell your Prince that I'll be there", Howl said in a monotonous tone and without saying anything else he walked towards the exit.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

**AN:**

Hope you liked it. Please review!


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:**

Thank you so much everyone for your awesome reviews. :)

I apologize for not updating sooner. Actually, I had a problem with my internet connection so I wasn't able to update.

Anyway, enjoy this chapter and keep reviewing!

**Chapter Eight:**

Howl banged open the wooden entrance door to his castle and went inside, he let out an exasperated sigh and he called out to Markl. Calcifer watched Howl quietly as he laid down on the large chaise-lounge placed right next to the staircase and closed his eyes, Markl came down running and stood beside Howl, he was panting and had his hands on his knees. He waited for Howl to speak up but when he didn't, Markl asked him, "what *pants* do you need me *pants* for, master Howl?", he managed to say that through his uneven breaths.

"Get me a glass of water, Markl", Howl said keeping his eyes closed. Markl was overjoyed to be requested for something by Howl, he wanted Howl to depend a little bit on him, it made him feel as if they were a family. "I'll get it right away!", he said in his chirpy voice and ran towards the kitchen to get water, he came back quickly and gave the glass of water to Howl. Howl sat up on the chaise-lounge and gulped down the cool water in one go to cool down his system, he handed the glass back to Markl. "Good boy", Howl praised him and ruffled his hair fondly, Markl blushed shyly and smiled sweetly at Howl before going back to the kitchen to put away the glass.

"Do you need anything else, master Howl?", Markl asked him expectantly, Howl smiled at his enthusiasm and shook his head, he was fond of Markl and occasionally asked the little boy to do things for him, he wanted Markl to feel like a part of the family so Howl paid extra attention towards him, "did you practice the spells I taught you?", he asked Markl.

"Yes, master Howl, I practice them everyday, but I'm not very good at casting them", he said sadly.

Howl patted his shoulder and said, "when I was your age, I was very bad at casting spells too, everyone used to say that I was a good-for-nothing wizard but as I grew up, I became the most exceptional wizard because I believed in myself. So, Markl, don't worry about being bad at casting spells, just believe in yourself and keep practicing, I'm sure you'll turn out to be a great wizard"

Markl smiled brightly at the encouraging words of Howl and nodded his head, "you're the best, master Howl!", he exclaimed. Howl grinned at being called the best and pinched Markl's cheek. "Go, practice your spells", Howl said as he turned Markl around and gave him a light push from the back, Markl nodded and ran upstairs to his room.

"That kid likes you a lot", said Calcifer in his saucy tone, he was as usual chewing on the logs and keeping the castle warm, "I'm aware of that", a gentle smile touched his lips as Howl said that. He laid down on the chaise-lounge again and covered his eyes with his arm. Calcifer eyed Howl for a while who was breathing evenly and drumming his fingers against the soft red fabric of the chaise-lounge. From his experience, Calcifer had learnt that whenever something was troubling Howl, he would become quiet as a log until someone asked him about his problems. Calcifer snapped a log with his hands and nibbled on it, "so, what's troubling you?", Calcifer asked him as he chewed on the log, Howl sighed, got up from the chaise lounge and went near the hearth to sit on his comfy chair, "you remember Madam Suleiman, don't you?", he asked Calcifer.

"Yeah, what about her?"

"Well, I met that old hag today"

"And?"

"And she told me that it was the prince who wanted me in the Royal Army and

the Prince wants to meet me now since I've rejected his offer so many times"

"Uh-huh"

"She was ordered by the Prince to publicly shun me from Ingary if I rejected to meet the Prince this time"

"And let me guess, you agreed to meet him, didn't you?"

"Yes, but what else was I suppose to do? I can't risk being shunned from Ingary otherwise I won't be able to mee-", Howl stopped quickly without completing his sentence.

"Oh for the love of God! How can I forget that your sweet Sophie lives in Ingary?", Calcifer said mockingly and looked heavenwards while shaking his head, "never mind, when is your meeting with the Prince?"

"Three days from now, he's throwing a ball and I'm supposed to meet him there", Howl pinched the bridge of his nose and took a long pause before adding, "Calcifer, you know I hate the Royal people, they make me suffocate with all the authority and power they try to flaunt off at people around them"

Calcifer snorted and said, "you're no different from them either", Howl narrowed his eyes at him, "at least I don't make people suffocate", he said haughtily. Calcifer grinned, Howl was right about that, no matter how much he vexed Calcifer with his commanding attitude, Howl never once made him feel suffocated in his presence. And that was exactly what Calcifer liked about him. Calcifer was busy grinning when an idea popped in his mind, "hey, Howl, aren't you supposed to take a partner with you at balls?", he said with a smirk, Howl looked at Calcifer and got confused by the look he was giving him, "yes", Howl said in a disconcerted fashion. Calcifer's smirk turned into a grin and he said with a glint in his eyes, "who cares about your meeting with the prince? you've got a golden opportunity at your hands, my boy", Calcifer's puzzling words were increasing Howl's frustration, he gave Calcifer a questioning look. Calcifer's grin grew wider and he said in an impish tone, "well, you need a partner to go with you at the ball, and who could be better than Sophie to be your partner?", suddenly realization dawned on Howl and he finally understood what Calcifer was trying to say. Howl was suddenly very curious to know what Calcifer was trying to say next. Calcifer couldn't help but chuckle at his keen expression, "this is your chance to win her, Howl, she'll be with you all night if you take her to the ball".

Howl's face lit up and he forgot all about his meeting with Prince Justin, he hadn't thought about the possibility of taking Sophie as his partner to the ball till now, he couldn't wait to go to Sophie's place and ask her to go to the ball with him. Calcifer smiled at his exuberant expression and coughed to snap out Howl from his deep reverie. Howl looked at Calcifer with a huge smile adoring his lips, he got up from his chair and lively strode towards the stairs, "Calcifer, heat up the water for my bath and thank you so much!", he said vibrantly and excitedly went upstairs while humming.

… … … … … … … …

Walking down the stony pavement, with a basket full of many fancy decorative ornaments, Sophie shaded her eyes with her hand from the bright sunlight. It was a beautiful and lively day, as Sophie walked by a park, she heard the merry squeaks and cackles of the children playing nearby. A genuine smile touched her lips as Sophie saw the children playing cheerfully with each other. She liked children, because they were the only ones who truly cherished and enjoyed their lives.

A gentle gust of wind caressed Sophie, making the skirt of her dull green gown flutter with the swirling wind, she brushed away the loose strands of hair from her face and looked ahead as her shop came in view. She unlocked her door and went inside, she put the basket on her crafting table and took out the fancy ornaments from the basket. Sophie was requested by one of her regular customers to prepare a bunch of hats for a newly married Countess within a day, as the customer, who had made the request, was a very aged Marchioness, so Sophie was unable to decline her.

Sophie sat on her stool near her crafting table and started stitching the fancy embellishment on one of the plain hats. She was passing the thread through the eye of a needle when she heard a knock on the door, she got up and quickly made way to the entrance door through the small gallery. When she opened the door, she found Howl standing there with a tender smile on his face, he was looking rather plain today, clad in a comfortable cotton button-up shirt and sleek black leather trousers. Sophie smiled at him, "what brings you here, Howl?", she asked gently and moved away to invite him in. "I just wanted to know how you're doing", he said sprightly as he walked in and went to her shop. He looked at her inquiringly when he saw the ornaments and hats scattered on her crafting table, "I was requested by one of my customers to prepare a couple of hats, I have to finish them before the sun rises tomorrow, so I was a little busy", Sophie shrugged, "would you like something to drink?", she asked him.

"No, Sophie, actually I'd like to help you with those hats", he said and picked up a plain hat from the crafting table, Sophie looked at him incredulously, "you're going to help me? Do you even know how to stitch?", she questioned him while a hearty chuckle left her mouth. Although Sophie rarely mused about anything, but she found it really amusing, the way Howl had plainly stated that fact that he'd help her. She was unaware of the implacably dubious smile on her face, but Howl was very much aware of it, he took the plain hat and moved towards Sophie, put the hat on her head and held her by the shoulders, he stooped a little bit to come face-to-face with Sophie. Her innocent and pristine expressions never ceased to amaze him, every time he looked at her soft chaste lips, he wanted to devour them there and then, but he knew he had to control himself.

He smiled at her naïve expression, "of course not" he said and inched a little closer to her ear, "but you're going to teach me". Sophie shivered when she felt his hot breath on her ear, and hastily moved away to hide her burning rosy cheeks with the brim of the hat. Howl smirked smugly at her adorable shy reaction, he loved teasing her just to see that priceless expression on her face. "Y-you don't have to help me, Howl", Sophie averted her gaze and nervously fidgeted with her hands, Howl frowned and said determinedly, "nonsense, you can't finish all these hats by tomorrow morning, haven't you heard of the expression 'two heads a better than one'?", he picked up a needle from the crafting table and passed a thread through its eye. Sophie had no choice but to allow him to help her, so she picked up a colorful ornament and took the needle from Howl's fingers, "here, let me show you how its done".

"First, you make the length of the thread equal on both sides of the needle and tie a knot at the end, like this", she twisted the ends of the thread in her fingers and tied a knot. Howl stood close to her while she demonstrated, he was paying more attention to her beautiful face than her demonstration, his heart-beat was going wild just by looking at her puckered lips. "Will you pass me a hat please?", her gentle request brought Howl back from his trance, "oh, okay", he said and handed her a hat. Her fingers brushed his large hand as she took the hat from him, causing her to blush, "uh, n-now, position the ornament in place on the hat, push the needle up through its fabric and pass it through the hole at the back of the ornament", she told him as she demonstrated, "now, push the needle down through the fabric of the hat and repeat this process a few times". Sophie looked so gullible while concentrating on stitching that she had no idea that her innocent expressions were giving a hard time to Howl. Howl was enjoying his every moment with her even though he could hardly contain himself at the moment, "when you're done, secure the thread at the base by tying a knot", Sophie said in her smooth silky voice and handed a threaded needle to Howl, "now, you try it".

Sophie went near her crafting table to get some more thread, leaving Howl by himself. He eyed her as she opened her sewing box to get some thread from it, Howl absent-mindedly passed a needle through a plain hat, but because of his lack of concentration, he pricked himself. "Ouch!", he yelped out in pain, which quickly caught Sophie's attention and she rushed towards him, "you pricked yourself!", she stated as she saw a small drop of blood ooze out of his finger. Sophie quickly took out a piece of cotton from the first-aid box and dabbed it on his finger, Howl quietly watched the turbulent expression on her face as she cleaned the blood from his finger. She sighed after finishing and almost screamed at him, "that's why I told you not to help me!", Howl smiled at her worrisome expression and held a lock of her hair in his slick fingers and kissed it, "I didn't know that you were so much worried about me", Howl chuckled when he saw her turning scarlet.

"Uh, Sophie, actually I have a favor to ask you", he said as he cleared his throat, Sophie looked into his mesmerizing sea-blue orbs and raised her brows questioningly, "well, I was invited to the Royal ball by the Prince and I need a partner to accompany me", Sophie didn't seem to get his point because she still had a questioning look on her face, "Okay, so how can I help you?", she asked quizzingly , "you have to accompany me to the ball, Sophie", Howl said eloquently. Uncertainty clouded her eyes, "me?", and she looked surprised. Howl sighed and nodded his head. "But why me? I mean all the women in Ingary swoon over you, why don't you ask them? I'm sure they'll be happy to oblige yo-", she wasn't able to complete her sentence because Howl cut in, "I don't like them _because_ they swoon over me, I won't take anyone else with me except you, I won't go if you don't come with me", Howl pouted and crossed his arms.

Sophie was at a loss of words, she could decline him but her heart was telling her not to, she was his friend, wasn't she? Being his friend she was supposed to help him, besides she had never been to a ball before, this might be her chance to see what a ball really looked like. Sophie sighed and finally nodded her head and said yes. Howl's eyes instantly brightened up and he smiled at her, "when's the ball?" , Sophie inquired. "Two days from now", he told her, "I'll pick you at six in the evening".

"Alright, I'll wait for you", Sophie didn't have a gown to wear to the ball, but she wasn't worried about that, she could ask Lettie for one anytime. The only thing that worried her was how was she going to face so many people and dance in front of them? She didn't even know how to dance, but she couldn't possibly embarrass herself in front of everyone, so she made up her mind to ask Lettie for help first thing tomorrow.

"Can I finish the hats now?", Sophie asked Howl who had a huge grin on his face, "absolutely, but we'll finish the hats together", he replied enthusiastically, and picked up a needle and started stitching, Sophie didn't know why but every time she was with Howl she felt calm and at peace, she didn't have to put up a façade in front of him, and it was quite surprising to her that she was actually starting to appreciate her life now.

Sophie picked up another needle and started sewing the embellishments on the hats along with Howl. Every time Howl pricked himself, Sophie would either sigh or laugh at his foolishness. Both had made a deal to prepare ten hats each, when Sophie was done with her share, she went upstairs to prepare dinner as it was already six in the evening. By the time Howl had finished, Sophie was done making dinner. "Since you helped me with the hats, I made dinner for you", she told him with a smile adoring her pink lips, Howl smiled back at her, "you didn't have to make dinner for me", he said. "You helped me, Howl, its the least I could do, now come on", she invited him to her dining table.

"I made beef stew, roasted chicken and potato salad", she told him as she took off the lids of the pots, "and for dessert we have apple pie, Its not much but I hope you enjoy the meal", Howl was starving and his mouth watered when he saw the delicious looking dishes, he was feeling elated because Sophie had specially made the meal for him, he didn't know what actual felicity was until he had tasted the food Sophie had prepared, Sophie was a gifted cook. He enjoyed his every bite and thanked Sophie again and again for such an appetizing meal.

"Lock the doors properly and take care of yourself", Howl was standing in her porch, the gentle swirling wind was playing with his hair, and the soothing moonlight was highlighting his visage, making his eyes twinkle. Before taking his leave, he bent down and lightly brushed his lips across her baby-soft cheek. Sophie was caught off-guard, a deep blush colored her cheeks which made her look ethereal in the moonlight, "thanks again for the meal", he said before pulling away and smirked at her timidness. Sophie managed to thank him for his help and meekly said good-bye to him.

… … … … … … …

The next day…

After delivering the hats to the Marchioness, Sophie went on her way to the bakery in which Lettie worked, she didn't know how she was going to explain about Howl to Lettie, she just hoped that Lettie doesn't ask many questions. She sighed as she entered the bakery and waved at Lettie, Lettie's face lightened up immediately as she saw Sophie and came running towards her. "Sophie! Its so good to see you", she exclaimed happily and hugged Sophie jubilantly, Sophie hugged her back, "Its good to see you too, I need your help with something, Lettie", Sophie told her, Lettie just stared at Sophie for a moment before smiling, "finally! you need my help. So, tell me, Sophie, how can I help you?", she asked her in a playful manner. "Not here, Lettie, lets go to the pantry to talk", Sophie held her by the wrist and took her to the pantry. "Now, tell me what's wrong?", Lettie was beginning to worry about her sister now, "Lettie, do you remember, on the May day a wizard helped me and dropped me off here?", Sophie asked her.

"Yes, what about him?"

"Actually, he became me friend after a couple of our encounters"

Lettie gasped, "Sophie, he's trying to trick you! He only wants to eat your heart! Stay away from him!"

"No, Lettie, he's not like that, I can assure you, Howl's really a very kind-hearted person"

"I don't know, Sophie, but there are many rumors about him"

"Rumors are what people create for their own enjoyment, they're not true. Believe me, Lettie, I used to think that Howl was a bad person too, but when I got to know him, he turned out to be really different from my imagination"

Lettie was getting perplexed at Sophie, she didn't know why Sophie was taking Howl's side even-though he had a bad reputation. She sighed, Sophie was very good at judging people, if she said that Howl was a good person so he must be one. "Alright, Sophie, I believe you, you never stood up for anyone ever before, so what you're saying must be true. Anyway, what's the problem?"

"Well, I need a dress to wear to a ball and some dancing lessons"

Lettie's eyes widened and she had an incredulous look on her face, "Sophie, I can't believe it. _You_ want a dress and dancing lessons? Please don't tell me that Howl is the reason for this"

Sophie sighed and nodded, "Why is it so hard to believe?"

_If Howl's the reason for this change in Sophie, then who am I to judge him?, _Lettie thought and said "Remind me to thank Howl for making you realize how to actually live life!"

Sophie smiled at her sister, "Fine, but you have to help me first"

"Deal!", she squealed, and hugged Sophie again. "I'm so excited, Sophie, come on", she said and took Sophie to her hostel. Lettie took out an extravagantly beautiful blue satin gown from her closet, it was the most beautiful thing Sophie had ever seen. It was delicately and exotically trimmed, with a slightly deep boat-shaped neckline to accentuate the creamy skin of its wearer and short puffy sleeves, the bodice was decorated with intricate embroidery which matched the color of the gown, and the skirt was full and elegantly structured, to put it simply it was a perfect ball gown.

Sophie caressed the fabric of the gown which shone in the incandescent light of the ceiling lamp, it felt so soft and smooth like a feather. Sophie was busy caressing the exotic gown, when Lettie's shrilling voice caught her attention, "you like it?", Lettie was grinning from ear to ear, "Its perfect, Lettie", Sophie replied. Lettie clapped her hands to show her cheerfulness, "now, lets go to Madam Rose for your dancing lessons", she said and hung the gown back into the closet. Sophie followed Lettie as she led the way to the studio in which Madam Rose held the dancing classes.

Madam Rose was an excellent dancer, she mastered in almost all kinds of classical dances, on the request of the ladies of Ingary, she had started teaching dancing at her home. When Sophie and Lettie arrived at her studio, they found Madam Rose demonstrating ballet dancing to a group of young girls. Madam Rose dismissed the young girls and excused herself when she saw Sophie and Lettie standing at her porch. Lettie introduced Sophie to Madam Rose and requested her to teach Sophie how to waltz.

Madam Rose was very patient with Sophie and showed her the basics of waltz dance in detail. Sophie was never acquainted with any form of dancing before, so all the rhythmic body movements felt a little but strange to her. She made many mistakes at first but Madam Rose kept her cool with Sophie. Finally, after many trials and errors, Sophie managed to learn the basics of waltz dance by the end of the day.

… … … … … … …

"Thank you so much for your help, Lettie", Sophie smiled at her younger sister as she stood in front of her hostel, "no problem, Sophie, in fact I'm so happy to help you", said a gleeful Lettie. Sophie had a huge rectangular box in her hands inside of which was the same gown Lettie had lent her, "I'll come at your place around three in the afternoon tomorrow and help you with the gown", Lettie said. "Okay" Sophie nodded, "I should get going now, its getting late".

"I'll come with you, Sophie"

"No, you stay at your hostel"

"But its dark and you'll be alone"

"No buts, Lettie, I can take care of myself. Now, go inside before you catch a cold"

Lettie pouted, "You never listen to me, Sophie!"

Sophie ignored her protests, "Good bye and take care", she said and started walking down the long road.

"Good bye, and you take care of yourself too!", Lettie shouted at the receding figure of Sophie. She went inside when Sophie completely disappeared into the darkness.

… … … … … … … … …

**AN:**

Hope you liked it. Please review!


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